


Hawkeye

by flootzavut



Series: Next Time [13]
Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Animals, Cats, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humour, M/M, Post canon, Sequel, Third Person POV, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, nexttimeverse, queer, very mild angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 22:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15495858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootzavut/pseuds/flootzavut
Summary: "Finding BJ sat on the back porch, a puddle of black fur sprawled inelegantly across his thighs and purring, is not especially surprising."The Hunnicutts and their felines.





	Hawkeye

**Author's Note:**

  * For [onekisstotakewithme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/onekisstotakewithme/gifts), [grumpyfaceurn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpyfaceurn/gifts).



> For aiding and abetting, and for the same plus excellence in cello practice respectively.

* * *

_**Hawkeye** _

* * *

 

Peg rather suspects that BJ doesn't realise their formerly feral cat only talks to him. He's a caretaker by nature, so of course he's the one who tamed it, who sits and talks to it, who took it to the vet to ensure it wouldn't be fathering new generations of strays.

She half-heartedly protested when the cat first turned up, but she knows a hopeless battle when she sees one. For some reason, the cat had BJ wrapped around its paw from the moment it appeared, and the only concession Peg managed to wrest from a reluctant BJ was that they wouldn't name it till they were reasonably sure it wasn't going to be claimed. Peg understands her BJ, and didn't want to risk him getting attached to a pet that belonged to someone else.

(Predictably, it didn't help, merely leaving the poor animal with the name Cat.)

Finding BJ sat on the back porch, a puddle of black fur sprawled inelegantly across his thighs and purring, is not especially surprising.

"Good boy. That's a good kitty, Hawkeye," BJ's saying as she approaches, and Peg can't completely smother her amusement. (Her husband is ridiculous, but it's part of his charm.)

"BJ? I thought the cat was called Cat."

BJ looks up at her sheepishly, then down at the animal lounging in his lap. "He reminds me of Hawk."

Peg perches beside him on the stair and offers a finger to Cat - now apparently Hawkeye - to sniff. He deigns to sit up and head butt her hand, and doesn't seem perturbed when she strokes him (which is a first), but he only has eyes for BJ.

Peg laughs aloud. "He reminds you of Hawkeye? Then Hawkeye adores you, darling."

"Well Hawkeye never sat in my lap and purred, if you're wondering," BJ says with a chuckle. The cat flops back down and rolls onto his back, and (amazingly) doesn't punish BJ with teeth and claws when BJ strokes the splash of white on his belly. "He just... he's kinda beat up and sad. And he's got blue eyes, and black fur that's going grey. And he-" BJ shrugs helplessly "-he needs me," he adds more quietly.

The cat chooses this moment to chirp and nuzzle BJ's fingers, stretching luxuriantly, and Peg laughs again. No matter what he used to be called, it's obvious: this cat is now irrevocably Hawkeye.

"How will you explain that to Human Hawkeye when he comes to visit?"

BJ gives her a crooked grin. "I guess I'll worry about that when I convince him to set a date." He wraps an arm around Peg's shoulders and tugs her in close.

Hawkeye does not look amused, shooting a baleful look at her she takes to mean 'Now he only has one hand to stroke me with!' She pokes out her tongue at him. "BJ was mine first." Hawkeye turns his back on her. "I hope Human Hawkeye will be a little more gracious about sharing you," she says.

BJ laughs and presses a kiss to her temple.

Hawkeye the Cat flops down again, reluctantly resigned to only getting half of BJ's attention. He won't look at Peg, but he purrs loudly when BJ rubs his tummy some more.

"Human Hawkeye will love you," BJ says.

"Yes?"

BJ smiles fondly and gives Hawkeye a tickle behind the ear that has him wriggling in ecstasy. "It'll be me and this Hawkeye who'll have to watch out. You'll be ganging up on us within forty eight hours."

"Would I do such a thing?"

"Definitely."

Peg grins and snuggles closer into BJ's side. It's nice to feel both understood and beloved. "Yes, you're right, I absolutely would."

For a while the only sound is the wind in the bushes and Hawkeye's rather laboured purr.

"Peggy?" BJ says eventually.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Peg slips her arm around BJ's waist. "I love you too, darling. Even if I am playing second fiddle to a cat."

_~ fin ~_

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I absolutely stole part of this idea from _that_ Tumblr post about [Human Nigel](http://witchbltch.tumblr.com/post/160710568824). No, I'm not sorry.
> 
> Credit must also go to the denizens of [The Swamp](https://discord.gg/H5nHFr4), whose cat headcanons encouraged and in some cases inspired my own. Because if anyone is a feral cat tamed by BJ Hunnicutt, it is absolutely Hawkeye Pierce. (Also, if you want to join in the cat headcanons, etc, please join us, we love new people and are mostly harmless.)
> 
> (The order of stories around this point may shuffle a little. Watch this space?)


End file.
